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Casio’s Ultra Affordable Hiking Watch Gets Its First Fully-Analog Edition

Much smaller than past versions, it also comes with a fully-lumed dial and carabiner strap option.

Close-up of a black rugged watch with a white dial, black hour markers, and an orange button on the side.Casio
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Ethan Brehm

By Ethan Brehm

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No one would fault you if you thought most outdoor digital watches were a bit too complicated. After all, a vast majority of hikers simply want something durable on their wrists without all the bells and whistles. 

Casio’s Pro Trek lineup has been a favorite of outdoorsmen and mountaineers for both its toughness and its digital suite. You get features such as the Triple Sensor (compass, barometer/altimeter and thermometer) and Tough Solar charging, all at an affordable price. Personally, it’s become one of my favorite GADA watches (specifically the PRW-3500), both on and off the trail. 

Over the past couple of years, the Japanese watchmaker has been working toward simplifying the Pro Trek lineup, as seen with the PRJ-B001 in 2024. This watch notably pared back the formula by ditching the Triple Sensor, cleaning up the dial and giving us a mostly-analog display.

Black and yellow Casio Pro Trek watch with white dial and black hour markers on a black ribbed strap.
Casio debuts its first-ever fully-analog Pro Trek model, ditching the Triple Sensor features for a simplified yet utilitarian display.
Casio

Now, Casio has gone even further with this approach, debuting the new PRJ-01, the most simplified Pro Trek watch yet. 

Gotta hand it to you

For the first time in the series, the Pro Trek goes full-analog. The three-hand display runs on a solar-powered quartz movement that can last up to 5 months on a single charge.

Close-up of a Casio Pro Trek watch face with black hour markers, white hands, and a yellow second hand.
The timepiece is still a solid hiking watch, benefitting from Tough Solar charging and 100m of water resistance.
Casio
Light gray Casio Pro Trek watch with white dial, black hour markers, and orange accent on the side button.
The new model launches in three references: PRJ-01-1, PRJ-01AE-8 and PRJ-01AE-7 (shown).
Casio

Despite omitting the Triple Sensor yet again, Casio still brings you a few useful features like the date window (at 4:30) and a low-battery alert. The timepiece is also still water resistant to 100m.

A little bit smaller

Perhaps most notably, the PRJ-01 gets a significant size reduction, dropping from 46mm of the PRJ-B001 to a solid 39.1mm with a resin case. Casios (and G-Shocks, for that matter) are famously large but this might be one of the most wearable watches the brand has ever put out.

Close-up of a Casio Pro Trek watch face glowing in the dark with luminous hour and minute hands.
For nighttime visibility, the entire dial has been coated with Casio’s Neobrite lume. However, you won’t get any LED backlight this time around.
Casio

For low-light situations, the dial itself features the brand’s proprietary Neobrite luminescent coating. This finish is also on the hour and minute hands. However, there’s no button-activated backlight like past Pro Treks, leaving you subject to the lume’s charge for nighttime visibility.

Casio has also tried something unique with the case shape here. Instead of the standard square or circle bezels of previous releases, the PRJ-01 gives you two shape options. You can leave the bezel in its distinct diamond-esque orientation or you can turn it sideways to protect the corner-placed crown underneath. 

Close-up of a black and blue adjustable strap with metal screws and a silver adjustment knob.
The resin strap on the PRJ-01 passes behind the caseback, NATO-style.
Casio
Gray Casio Pro Trek watch with white dial, orange accents, gray fabric strap, and black carabiner clip.
The ultimate affordable outdoor analog watch, the new Pro Trek can hook to your backpack or belt loop with the carabiner attachment option.
Casio

True journeymen can still use the bezel markings as a makeshift compass if they’d like, not completely eliminating that utility with this new model. 

Lastly, the watch ships with either a resin NATO-style strap that slips behind the caseback. The PRJ-01AE models also come with a carabiner option so you can attach it to a backpack or belt loop.

Gray Casio Pro Trek watch with a white dial and black nylon strap clipped to a yellow jacket, alongside a gray rubber strap.
The PRJ-01AE models come with both resin and fabric straps.
Casio

Availability and pricing

Currently listed on Casio’s Japanese site, the PRJ-01 is priced at ¥25,300 (~$157), while the PRJ-01AE carries a ¥31,350 (~$194) price tag. 

No word yet on North American availability, but you can expect these to arrive Stateside later this year.

About the Author: Ethan Brehm is an associate editor at Gear Patrol writing about footwear, watches, spirits, EDC and more. When he’s not shopping for his next G-Shock, he spends his time watching movies and planning a future road trip with his family. He firmly believes CDs sound better than vinyl.

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